North Korea says it has detained a US tourist

Choe Sang-hun

Seoul: A US tourist who said he was seeking "shelter" in North Korea has been detained there for more than two weeks and is being held on charges of a ''gross violation of its legal order'', the country's official Korean Central News Agency reported on Friday.

It said the American, identified as Miller Matthew Todd, 24, was being held for his ''rash behaviour" while passing through customs after his arrival in North Korea on April 10. According to the report, Mr Todd tore his tourist visa, shouting he had entered the North "after choosing it as a shelter".

"Our related agencies consider his behaviour a serious matter and an investigation is under way," the news agency said.

The report came just hours after a summit meeting between US President Barack Obama and his South Korean counterpart Park Geun-hye in Seoul. The two leaders warned of the possibility of imposing more sanctions on the North amid signs it might be preparing to conduct a fourth nuclear test.

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They also agreed to put pressure on North Korea over human rights violations.

Pyongyang has condemned such pressure from the outside as a plot to undermine its political system.

If confirmed, the detention of another US tourist could further complicate Washington's efforts to handle North Korea's growing nuclear ambitions.